A new study has indicated that three-quarters of cyberattacks during COVID-19 may be attributed to vulnerabilities caused by the move to working from home.
‘Beyond Boundaries: The Future of Cybersecurity in the New World of Work’ canvassed 1,300 security leaders, business executives and remote employees, including 168 respondents in the UK.
It was conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of cyber exposure company Tenable.
It found that 72% of UK organisations attribute recent business-impacting cyberattacks to vulnerabilities in technology put in place during the pandemic, while 68% suffered attacks that targeted remote workers.
Over a year after work-from-home mandates went into effect, many organisations are planning their long-term hybrid and remote work models, with 70% of UK organisations now supporting remote employees, compared to 31% prior to the pandemic. Furthermore, 86% plan to permanently adopt a remote working policy or have already done so.
Only 48% of UK organisations believe themselves to be adequately prepared to support hybrid working models from a security standpoint, with 78% of security and business leaders saying their organisation is more exposed to risk as a result of remote work.
What we’re getting wrong with both the physical and digital office
“Remote and hybrid work strategies are here to stay and so will the risks they introduce unless organisations get a handle on what their new attack surface looks like,” said Amit Yoran, CEO, Tenable.
“This study reveals two paths forward – one riddled with unmanaged risk and unrelenting cyberattacks and another that accelerates business productivity and operations in a secure way.
“CISOs and CEOs have the opportunity and responsibility to securely harness the power of technology and manage cyber risk for the new world of work.”